REPORTED BY JAPANESE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 April 1942, Page 3

REPORTED BY JAPANESE

On Tokio and Other Cities

BEGINNING OF OFFENSIVE INDICATED

ELATION IN UNITED STATES & CHINA

LONDON, April 19

Following on an earlier broadcast from Tokio reporting an air attack early yesterday afternoon on that city and on other Japanese industrial centres, Axis reports state that Tokio had another air raid alert today. Warnings, it is added, were sounded in other parts of Japan. The Japanese Press warns the population that repeated air raids must be expected. There is still no news from Allied sources of the bombing of industrial areas in Japan. Reporting- yesterday’s raid on Tokio, a Japanese broadcast said that though the bombers wrought telling damage to schools and hospitals no damage to military establishments was done. The attack was made on industrial areas.

The Tokio radio, quoting an announcement from the Imperial Headquarters, said that hostile planes also bombed Yokohama, Nagoya and Kobe. The German-controlled Oslo wireless reported from Tokio that the attack on the capital lasted for seven hours and said that according to unconfirmed reports an American aircraftcarrier was seen off the coast of Japan. Washington is greatly elated by the reports of the bombing, which, according to the general opinion, indicates that the Allies have taken the initiative against the Japanese. Leadingmembers of Congress declare that the attack is the beginning of an Allied offensive. The New York “Herald-Tribune” warns the war lords of Tokio, stating: “Gentlemen, it is only the beginning!” The Chungking correspondent of the United Press of America reports that the news of the bombing of Tokio has caused rejoicing by Chungking’s populace. The city was thrown into the greatest uproar of excitement since the outbreak of the war.

The American War and Navy Departments had no immediate confirmation of the bombing of Tokio, and there is no indication of when a communique might be issued. However, it is pointed out that if the bombings were a long-distance attack the aircraft would be many hours' in returning to the starting point, and reports would not be available till then. The Chungking correspondent of the Associated Press of America says he has learned from an authoritative source that the raids against Japan were not made from Chinese bases. (